Round Like A Shot
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

* * *

Maniac laughter echoing, bouncing off the walls of a secluded, dark alley. The only thing to be seen in the ominous orange light cast by flickering flames were two State Alchemists, staring down into the darker side of the alley at their opponent.

Roy Mustang and Edward Elric were both breathing unusually heavily, having come out of the fight with only their lives, nothing more. The ends of Roy's hair were singed (not that anyone would be able to tell, as Roy's hair was already dark to begin with), and Ed's golden blond hair had come loose from its braid at some point and now hung mostly in his face.

Exhausted, but triumphant, the two alchemists strode forward.

"Not bad, Fullmetal," said Roy, as he and the younger came towards the criminal they had been chasing. "Thanks for backing me up."

Edward shrugged and tossed his head. "It's not like I wanted to," he said carelessly. "I just helped you out 'cause Al would have my head if I let you die. But you're welcome anyways."

"Right…" said Roy, and dropped the subject.

Roy, with the help of his subordinates, had been working day and night to track down the notorious criminal who called himself "Shredder." This criminal had committed many crimes, a few of which that had resulted in death, but the worst part about it was the fact that "Shredder" was an alchemist, which made him a bit harder to take down.

But, earlier that same evening, Roy and Ed had met Shredder head-on, quite by accident, while making their way back to the Central Command. Shredder had pounced them - a mistake he seemed to regret the moment he realized Roy and Ed were State Alchemists.

The fight had cost both Edward and Roy their energy, but nothing more, which was a _huge_ blessing, as it could have been much worse. Along with having experience using alchemy, Shredder also seemed to have much experience with guns, of which he carried three, so it was lucky they made it out with their lives.

Shredder's three guns had been destroyed through Ed's alchemy, while Roy kept Shredder distracted.

"Shredder," said Roy, as he and Ed stepped from the light of the fire behind them, started by Roy himself during the fight, "you can come quietly, or we'll be forced to use more _physical_ methods."

The criminal cackled; he'd done it multiple times during the fight, breaking into hysteric laughter, like he found the whole thing terribly amusing. Roy noticed Ed's clenched fist and grinding teeth, but said nothing.

"Come _quietly,_ you say?" howled Shredder, panting to get his breath back. His skin, which had before been quite pale, was now a hideous combination of charred black and chocolate brown, with patches of white where Roy's fire hadn't given him two (or three) degree burns. "I'll make all the noise I want! And what're you gonna do 'bout it?"

"You shut up!" snapped Ed furiously, jabbing a finger at Shredder, though he didn't come any closer. "You're gonna do time, Shredder. _Hard_ time, if you're not executed!"

This only served to egg Shredder on. He laughed more madly than ever. "Oh, I'm sorry, kid!" he said with fake, mock shock. "I didn't know the military was bringing mere _children_ into the field! Just how desperate _are_ those pathetic-"

One kick from Ed's prosthetic leg was all it took, and Shredder's scarred, charred face hit the ground, and he laid there, suffering numerous wounds at the hands of those he had sought to attack, unconscious.

"Fullmetal…" Roy said.

"He had it coming to him," said Ed defensively, crossing his arms over his chest, like it explained everything. "And anyways, it's not like I hit him hard."

"You knocked him out."

Ed blew his bangs out of his face, just to display his annoyance. Instead of addressing the problem, he muttered sarcastically, "Figure that out on your own, Colonel?"

Roy resisted the urge to smack the twit and instead settled for approaching the now unconscious Shredder. "Well, looks like we won't have to worry about _this_ one for a while," he said, and he looked over his shoulder at Ed. "You got any communication device on you? We're gonna need backup."

"Nah, Shredder smashed it when he punched me that one time," said Ed, uncrossing and recrossing his arms. "What's your excuse? You drop yours again?"

" _No_ ," said Roy flatly, putting his hands on his hips and rummaging through his pockets - he was sure he had some handcuffs with him. "Hmm...doesn't look like I have anything…"

Mental note: start carrying around handcuffs. Then again, he hadn't been expecting Shredder to just _show up_ , or else he would've brought the necessary equipment.

"Don't ask me to transmute anything," said Ed, putting up his hands before Roy could even think the question. "Frankly, I'm so exhausted I doubt I'd be able to transmute a pencil into a few _toothpicks_."

Roy wasn't one to talk; he was exhausted himself, too, so he really couldn't blame Edward, even if the kid _was_ a child prodigy.

"Well, looks like we'll have to drag him back to central ourselves," said Roy, brushing his hands together, being careful that he didn't ignite a spark when he did. "Give me a hand."

"Whatever, Colonel Jerk," muttered Ed, and he started off after Roy. "So, what's the deal on this Shredder guy anyways? I know he's a former inmate, but what's he after?"

"Nothing," said Roy. "As far as we know, this guy's murdering innocent people without any set goal in mind. The crimes he commit aren't in any way connected. My guess is, being a former criminal wasn't good enough for him. He wanted back in the action as soon as he was released from prison."

Ed scoffed. "That's just twisted."

"Yeah, it is," said Roy. "He's definitely prepared for anything, that's for sure. We've been able to gather, through several witness reports, that he carries four guns with him at all times. That, plus his alchemy, makes him extremely dangerous. We're lucky to have caught him tonight."

"Four guns…" said Ed under his breath, and he suddenly paused, halting dead in his tracks. "Four guns, you said?" he asked, for clarification, and Roy turned to him, putting his back towards Shredder.

"Yeah," said Roy, "that's right. Four guns."

Ed mentally counted. "But...we only destroyed three," he said. "Shredder only used three while we were fighting, which means…"

At the end of the alley, Shredder, who had only been feigning unconsciousness, reached towards his final gun; the one he kept hidden, strapped to his thigh, just for situations like this.

Ed gave a gasp. "There's one more gun, and-"

A flash of silver caught his eye, coming from the direction of the shadowy alley. Shredder had pulled out his fourth and final weapon; his trump card, and he was aiming it to shoot right at Roy's turned back.

"Colonal, he's armed-!" Edward shouted, and he acted without thinking.

The trigger was pulled, and a loud _BANG!_ filled the recent silence. At the same time, Edward grabbed Roy by his forearms, put himself between the criminal and the colonal, then swung Roy out of harm's way, practically throwing him against the alley's wall.

It hurt, a little - the back of Roy's head stung considerably from the impact on the bricks - but he had other problems to face right now.

 _BAM._

And it was done. Edward, standing where Roy had stood moments before, suddenly sucked in a deep intake of breath, like he wanted to scream but couldn't. Roy only stared, and then, a small _tinkle tinkle!_ broke the silence again, and he looked briefly in that direction.

A blood-coated bullet had clattered to the ground.

The bullet had gone straight through Ed. Straight through his midsection, entering through his abdomen and exiting via his back.

It should have happened in slow motion. This was the kind of things in surreal horror films, the type of thing to happen in the heat of battle, the kind of turning point that should have happened in slow-motion.

But it didn't.

Because reality just didn't work that way.

The gun had been fired. Ed had been shot through. One moment, the young alchemist prodigy was standing there, gasping in a silent scream, and the next moment, he was nothing more than a bloody, crumpled heap on the ground.

There was a beat. Roy's heart drummed in his ears.

And then, the trance ended.

Roy scrambled to his feet and charged over like his life depended on it (even though someone's life _did_ depend on it). The entire time, he mentally kicked and screamed at himself.

 _You idiot! You IDIOT! You knew Shredder carried four guns, how could you stop at three!? This is your fault! YOUR FAULT, IDIOT!_

In the sky above, thunder crackled. A storm was approaching. Figures. Just another way to set the mood. The horrible, ominous mood.

Roy crashed to his knees and, as quickly as he could while still trying to be gentle, gathered the young alchemist into his arms.

"Fullmetal," Roy gasped, shaking the youngest of his subordinates desperately. "Come on, _come on_ , Fullmetal, talk to me."

Edward didn't move. The only thing Roy's shaking brought was the boy's head lolling in unconsciousness before finally resting against Roy's shoulder.

"Dangit, Edward, _talk to me!"_ shrieked Roy, for the first time since he could remember calling Edward by his name and not his alias.

This finally elicited a response, albeit a weak one, when Edward moaned painfully and couched twice. Roy felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders, and another from his chest; the kid was still _alive_ , thank _goodness_ …

"Shaddup...y'jerk…" muttered Ed furiously between weak coughs, shutting his eyes.

Roy felt so stupid, for so many reasons. "You...you shoved me," he said, before he could rethink his decision. Edward cracked open molten eyes, like melted gold, and stared at him dazedly. "You put yourself in my place, _you saved my life_."

Ed let out a hoarse sound between a cough and a laugh. "Y...Yeah," he said. "I...I don't...don't know what I was thinkin'..."

Roy, instead of answering, grabbed a fistful of Ed's red trench coat and pressed it to the wound. Ed hissed through his teeth, but other than that, gave no signs to show he was in pain.

"The...exit…" Ed moaned pitifully (even though the kid would surely destroy anyone who even _thought_ he was "pitiful").

"I know, I know, I'll get to that," said Roy, reaching around to apply pressure to the second wound - the exit wound - on Edward's back. "Hang in there, kid, just hang in there…"

 _Crap, there's so much blood!_

"C'mon, Ed, don't you go dying on me," said Roy, sitting Edward upright, leaning Ed against his chest, so either of his hands could apply pressure to either of the wounds. Edward's breathing was heavy and erratic, anything _but_ normal, and glancing down told Roy that Ed was beginning to lose consciousness.

"I...won't…" Ed murmured tiredly. "I'll just…" He slumped further. "Y-You...j-jerk…" He shut his eyes...

"No! No, no, you can't do that, Ed, you can't," said Roy, grabbing Ed's shoulder and shaking him. "You've gotta stay awake for me, alright? Look at me."

Tired, glazed eyes stared into his dark ones.

"There, see? You focus on me, alright? Calm down. Don't work yourself up."

Ed didn't answer verbally. He simply nodded and shut his eyes, staying conscious but not aware.

Hysterical cackling suddenly drew Roy's attention from the young bleeding boy in his arms, back to the criminal who'd shot Ed in the first place. Shredder was laughing madly, the pistol, which Roy now assumed only had one bullet left in its barrel before being shot (so now it was empty), lying forgotten on the pavement.

"D'awww, how _sweet!"_ said Shredder, making a fake puppy-dog face with widened, terrifying bulging eyes that could hardly be qualified as human. "Mr. Tough Flame Alchemist isn't so tough when a poor little _brat_ like him gets hurt, is he?"

Edward cracked open his eyes and growled - literally _growled_ \- at Shredder through his teeth for calling him a "little brat", but then, he dropped the menacing act all at once with a sharp cry of pain, clutching his stomach.

"This is why mere _children_ shouldn't be running around as _dogs_ of the _military!_ They could get _hurt_ , you know!"cackled Shredder, and Roy raised his head, narrowing his eyes, while Ed did the exact opposite, squeezing his eyes shut and hiding his face.

Shredder ran his tongue along his yellowed teeth, his burned hair framing his burned face like two greasy curtains, hideous mouth curved into a grin at Roy's obvious fury. "Aw, did I strike a _nerve?"_ he jeered. "How _awful_ of me!"

And he cackled again, like a dying hyena.

This is what finally made Roy snap.

 _Literally_ snap.

He snapped his fingers, created a small fire, channeled the oxygen into the air from one place to another, and the entire end of the alleyway burst into flames. Shredder's laughter turned into howls and screeches of immense pain, but the most horrifying thing about it was the fact that the laughter was still _there_ , amongst the shrieks.

Despite being burned to death, Shredder was still laughing, like he found the whole thing hilarious.

It was sickening. It was twisted. Wait, on second thought...no, it was _worse_ than sickening. It was _worse_ than twisted.

"C-Colonal…" Ed coughed, and suddenly, Roy was jerked back to the urgency of the situation. He'd been so blinded by hatred towards Shredder that he had nearly forgotten about the injured boy before him.

"...Right," said Roy. "Hang on, Ed…" He removed the boy's cloak entirely and tied it firmly around Ed's waist like a child might do with their sweatshirt, covering both the wounds. Ed hissed and winced, but didn't protest. Roy then shrugged off his own blue military jacket and wrapped it around Ed's shoulders; the last thing he needed was for the cold to make Ed sick.

"Alright," said Roy, glancing at the fire still burning strongly at the other end of the alley, "I've gotta get you out of here...alright, up you go…" Without waiting for a response, he slipped one arm beneath Ed's knees and the other around his shoulders. Then, despite his exhaustion, he hoisted the young alchemist into his arms, turned, and tore down the sidewalk, ignoring Ed's weak protests.

If he didn't hurry…if he didn't get Ed medical attention soon...

...Well...he didn't want to think about that.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! So this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter fanfiction from this fandom, and so far I like the way it's going! Unfortunately, it's not going to be** _ **too**_ **long, maybe two or three more chapters, but I figured it'd be too much to try and shove into a one-shot, so that's why it's multiple chapters.**

 **Oh, and just in case anyone's wondering, I haven't finished the FMA series yet. I'm currently reading the mangas, watching Brotherhood, and then occasionally watching an episode of the 2003 series, just for the heck of it. :)**

 **Oh, and if you guys have any ideas you want me to use for this fic, go ahead and let me know. I may or may not use them, depending on what they are, but hey, any idea is a good idea, so let me have 'em. XD**

 **Anyways, let me know what you think of this so far, 'kay? :) Review if you fancy! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter! :) And I'm sorry if the characters are coming across as OOC (even a little bit); this is my first FMA fanfiction ever, so I'm a little out of practice. XD Anyways, I'm going to do shout-outs for you guys in the next chapter to show my gratitude; my email doesn't always work with reviews that come in, so I'll have to give you the shout-outs next chapter. :D Thank you all so much for your support! :) Here's chapter 2! :)**

* * *

 **Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

* * *

Roy stumbled down the cracked sidewalk, a bleeding and nearly unconscious Edward held protectively in his arms. Edward wasn't heavy by himself, but with the automail arm and leg, his weight increased considerably.

This was a lonely part of town. Literally, _the loneliest part of the city_ was here, where Roy and Ed were. Roy mentally cursed. It only made sense. Of _course_ the only time they needed civilization - like a hospital or safe shelter - was when there wasn't any to be found.

This was a low part of the city to be sure. There were no cars to be seen, nor were there any civilians striding down the narrow sidewalks other than Roy (and Ed, but Ed certainly wasn't "striding" down _anything_ ). There were small buildings that had definitely seen better days, and scuttling and scratching of rats and other rodents could be heard almost everywhere.

Once Roy was certain he had put enough distance between himself and Shredder (if Shredder was even still _alive_ , which seemed impossible), he ducked into an alley, knelt down, and gently - ever so gently - set Ed down against the side of a building. Ed coughed and swatted an imaginary fly with a weak hand, but other than that, didn't move.

"Alright, Edward," said Roy, "let me look at those wounds…"

"I'm fine," Edward muttered, waving his hand again, slapping Roy's shoulder, but he wasn't strong enough to take down Roy on a _regular_ day, much less when he was wounded, so he really didn't have a say in the matter. Roy unwound his makeshift coverings and lifted Ed's leather jacket and shirt, just enough to see the entrance wound piercing his abdomen.

Roy sucked in a sharp breath.

 _Dangit, it's still bleeding, what do I do now…?_

Edward followed his gaze and chuckled hoarsely. "Oh…" he said. "That...that doesn't look...too good."

"You think?" said Roy, leaning Ed forward and checking the exit wound. It was the same story on either side; blood, and lots of it.

"You could...cauterize it…" Edward said, forehead pressing into Roy's shoulder. "Y'know, with...with alchemy…"

Roy didn't know much about healing alchemy, but he knew that yes, he _could_ cauterize both of Ed's wounds...that would stop the bleeding...but he still didn't know…

"Edward-" Roy started, but Ed cut him off fiercely.

"No!" snapped Edward, suddenly very angry, jerking away from Roy. "I said to _cauterize it, you…!"_ He coughed twice, bringing a gloved hand to his mouth. "Y-Y-You b-blasted id-" Cough, cough. "-Idiot…"

Well, the fight certainly hadn't been beaten out of the kid, but that didn't mean he was in good shape - or even _decent_ shape, for that matter. Roy was surprised Ed hadn't already fallen unconscious, or worse... _died_.

"Alright, alright," said Roy, realizing that, despite what he would have wanted, this was the only way. Without proper supplies, means of transportation, communication devices, or a hospital, Ed would bleed out unless he cauterized the wounds. "Just...relax, kid, alright?"

Edward sucked in a deep breath and nodded, blond bangs plastered to his forehead with sweat; a red streak of blood painted a section of his loose, unwinding braid. "Just...warn me...when you're about to start...alright…?"

"Alright…"

And with a snap of his fingers, Roy got to work. This wasn't the first time he'd cauterized a wound. There had been other occasions, with other subordinates, but this was the first time he'd ever had to do it to someone as _young_ as Ed. And this was the first time he'd done it on someone as _quiet_ as Ed, too. The kid was only fifteen, and yet, when Roy's carefully controlled flames danced over his wound, sealing it shut in the only way they could, the only thing Ed did was grimace and clench his teeth, nothing more.

Sometimes, it was easy to forget how young Ed really was. Sometimes, with the "tough guy" act Ed always put on, it was easy to forget that he really was just a kid.

By the time both wounds had been cauterized, the bleeding coming to a halt, Edward was slumped against the wall of the alley, eyes shut. Roy removed his glove and snapped twice in Ed's face.

"Hey," he said, "you still with me?"

Ed blinked his eyes open and released a long breath. "That was nothin'...compared to...automail surgery," he muttered. And then, he smiled tiredly up at Roy. "Thanks, jerk…"

"Brat."

"Idiot."

"Twit."

Ed opened his mouth to object, but he must have changed his mind at the last second, because he snapped his jaw shut with an audible "click." He leaned back against the alley's wall and let out an exhausted sigh, resting one hand over his stomach.

Thunder and lightning further disturbed the already ominous sky, and this time, it was accompanied by a few raindrops that started making their appearance. Roy looked up for a moment or two, and then back down the alley. Finally, his eyes returned to the wounded, exhausted alchemist before him.

"Come on, we can't stay here," said Roy, re-tying the cloak around Ed's waist, just in case the wounds started bleeding again. "If it starts raining and we're still outside, we're in trouble."

Storms were unforgivable this time of year. They would be shown no mercy.

Roy knelt in front of Ed, his back to him. "Wrap your arms around my neck."

Ed stubbornly shook his head. "Y-You're not carrying me again…"

"Well, you sure aren't walking, so I don't know what else you hope to do," said Roy, frowning.

"Urgh... _fine_ ," Ed muttered, going with it without much of a fight (a sure sign to Roy that the kid was in more pain than he let on), and one he cooperated, Roy was able to hoist him up onto his back. Ed hissed in pain, but relaxed soon after.

The rain was picking up again, and Roy headed down the alley, looking between abandoned buildings. "Gotta get out of the rain…" he said. Without proper supplies, they were as good as gonners.

"R-Right…" said Ed, not bothering to open his eyes. "'C-Cause you're useless in the rain...or... _more_ useless, I should say…"

"I could easily drop you. You know that, right?"

"I d-didn't _ask_ to be c-carried...by you…if you drop me, y'know, I _could_ strangle you...if I wanted to...after I recover..."

"You aren't tall enough."

"With that comment...you just stooped low enough...for me to reach…"

Despite the situation, Roy couldn't help but smirk. "You do realize you just called yourself short, don't you, Fullmetal?"

He expected Ed to flip out and shriek in horror, because Roy was right, so Roy was surprised when Edward didn't answer at all. This made Roy pause. He'd just mocked Ed's height, and Ed wasn't threatening him or calling him names no fifteen-year-old should know. Something wasn't right.

He looked over his shoulder. Ed's eyes were shut, breathing deep and normal for the first time since getting shot. Roy sighed; he should've been expecting Ed to fall asleep.

"Alright," he said to himself, as he hoisted Edward further up his back to ensure he didn't fall, "shelter...right…"

The rain was getting heavier, and Roy was growing desperate. It was cold, Ed was hurt, and there was no way they'd be getting back to Central any time soon...so where to go?

Roy thought it over for a sec, then went into the only place he knew: the first abandoned building he saw. The door was rotting, so all he had to do was kick it, and it caved in on itself, giving Roy a clear entrance. He headed inside instantly, finally getting out of the cold storm.

The house was definitely abandoned, but it was still in surprisingly decent condition, considering how the outside of it looked. There was a tiny kitchen crammed in with the somewhat less-tiny living room. A threadbare couch with tears and holes was placed along the far wall, beside a crumbling grandfather clock.

It wasn't much...but it would have to do.

The first thing Roy did was head over to the couch. He sat down on the edge of it and carefully pried Ed's arms from around his neck; after that, he laid the kid down on his side, so he wouldn't aggravate either of his wounds. Ed didn't even protest to being moved around, which proved just how deeply asleep he was (asleep, not unconscious; Roy could tell this much).

After making sure his jacket was wrapped securely around Ed's shoulders, Roy got up, left his rain-damp glove on the counter to dry, then started searching for anything he could use as bandages or blankets. He still wanted to keep Ed's wounds wrapped.

As he rummaged through a cabinet, he glanced over at the couch. Ed was ridiculously pale, and he shivered despite the cloak around his shoulders.

 _He should really get to a hospital…_ Roy thought, as he dragged numerous blankets from the cabinet and slung the first aid kit over his shoulder. _I wonder if there's a working landline around here…_

He traded out Edward's blood-stained cloak previous used to staunch the bleeding for bandages, then threw multiple blankets over him. The two alchemists hadn't come out of the storm particularly wet, but Roy didn't want to take his chances with Ed catching a cold. Their situation was bad enough as it was, so sickness would just be adding logs to the fire.

Once his glove dried enough to use, Roy lit the wood furnace and sat down at the end of the couch Ed was sleeping on. Anyone else Ed's age would have taken up the entire couch, but Ed was so small there was still plenty of room for Roy to sit down.

After checking Ed's bandages one final time, just to make sure they were still in place, he leaned back, his own fatigue finally catching up with him.

He leaned back and was asleep as soon as he shut his eyes.

…

When he woke up again, he didn't know what had woken him right away, or how much time had passed. He felt somewhat more rested than before, but still tired. Glancing at the window told him that not only was it still dark, but the storm was stronger than ever, lightning and thunder cracking and rolling throughout the sky.

It took him a moment, but he finally remembered where he was and why he was there. He sighed heavily; as long as that storm kept up, there would be no going outside and walking back to Central, and in Ed's condition, there would be no walking at all on his part.

This was all very unfortunate.

And speaking of Edward, "Are you awake, kid?" Roy asked, glancing over at his subordinate. Edward was now sprawled on his back, breathing hoarsely through parted lips, the blankets Roy had thrown over him earlier still wrapped around him. He seemed to be sleeping soundly, cheeks red and eyes shut -

Wait.

Cheeks red…?

Roy leapt up from his seat instantly and knelt by Ed, panic beginning to overwhelm him. "No, no, come on, please no…" he muttered to himself. "As if getting shot wasn't bad enough…"

He slapped his hand to Ed's forehead, probably with more force than he intended. Ed didn't even flinch.

Roy cursed under his breath.

Ed was burning up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, frankly, I didn't expect so many people to like this story, so I'm really really really REALLY happy right now! Thank you all SOO much for all your support! It really makes my day! :D**

 **Oh, and before we get on with the shout-outs, I wanted to tell you that chapter 4 might be a little late getting out. Sorry about that. I just want to make sure everything's right for that chapter.**

 **And I've said it before, but this fic probably won't go over five chapters. Which means we're almost finished! :D Thanks for all the reviews, friends! :D Here's some shout-outs for y'all! :D**

 **AvaniAcrux: Haha, well, I guess I write for both of those fandoms now! :D Right now, I think those two are my favorite fandoms, too; FMA and HTTYD are both amazing, and I enjoy writing in them thoroughly! :D Oh yeah, I promise I'll take GOOD CARE of our dear Edward, heh heh heh *rubs hands together* Haha, no, seriously, though. XD Thanks for the review! XD**

 **Emachinesecat: True that! Thanks! :D**

 **Brenne: We'll have to see what happens and hope for the best! :D Yeah, Roy definitely needs some backup right about now, and a paramedic for Edward, too! :D Thanks! :D**

 **Guest (#1): Poor Ed. :( Here's the update, though! :D**

 **Gena408: Thanks! :D I'm glad you enjoy it despite the fact poor Edward isn't doing too well! :D**

 **Chibibread: Hey, awesome, thanks! :D I love both of these fandoms! :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: Yeah, that it is, that it is. Sometimes I wonder if there's such a thing as GOOD luck when it comes to Edward. :)**

 **Attackoneverything: Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you like it! :D**

 **la-hija-de-Dios: Thanks! :D**

 **ImpossibleJedi4: Haha, yeah! :D Thanks! :D**

 **xXALCHEMYFREAKXx: Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you like it so far! :D**

* * *

 **Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

* * *

"Augh, how did this happen!?" Roy shouted furiously as he practically tore up the house, rummaging through cabinets and boxes like his life depended on it. "Come on, there's gotta be something…!"

After finding there was nothing of use in the kitchen, he tore down the hallway and into the house's small bathroom, all the while cursing and shouting. Outside, thunder rolled and lightning crashed; other than a few oil lamps Roy had lit earlier, the house was completely dark.

He finally managed to find a second first aid kit, this one coming more equipped than the first, complete with a thermometer and cold patches. Once he had everything he needed, he raced back into the living room - back to Edward.

He stuck a plaster to Ed's forehead and rested his hand on his shoulder, giving Ed a small shake. "Hey, kid, I need you to wake up," Roy said, trying not to let his fear show in his voice. Ed didn't move. "Edward, c'mon, I need to take your temperature. Quit being so stubborn."

Still nothing.

Roy resisted the urge to moan. Looks like he had to revert to more drastic measures. "Get up right now, you tiny little shrimp-"

"Who're you callin' a pipsqueak…?" Edward murmured, not bothering to open his eyes. Roy unconsciously sighed in relief, and at that, Ed opened his glazed eyes half-way, staring up at Roy blearily.

"Don't scare me like that again, kid, alright?" Roy said, turning on the thermometer, breathing freely now that he knew Ed was awake. _At least he wasn't unconscious...but still, that fever...it's not a low one, I know that much…_

"...Scared you…?" Ed said, and he bared his teeth in a somewhat weak but still crazy, sarcastic grin. "'Cause the paperwork...if I died...would be murder...right?"

 _Amazing. Even when he's sick and hurt he's still as cynical as ever._ "Yeah, sure, Edward," muttered Roy, and he handed over the thermometer. "Here. Put this under your tongue."

"Why should I-" Ed started, but was cut off when Roy took the moment of weakness and shoved the thermometer into Ed's mouth. Ed grunted, and when Roy held a finger to his lips in a sign to "be quiet", Ed groaned. He muttered something out of the side of his mouth that sounded suspiciously like "Colonel Jerk." Roy pretended not to notice.

Ed had a bad habit of chewing on something when he was working, like a pen or a toothpick or a straw, but when he had a thermometer between his teeth, he looked downright pathetic. He also looked years younger than he was, face flushed and knotted, blood-streaked hair strewn over the arm of the couch.

It wasn't fair. Ed didn't deserve this. Where was the equivalent exchange here? Was seeing Ed in pain exchange for Roy's carelessness in counting Shredder's weapons during the fight? Was Ed suffering for something Roy did?

Either way, it still wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair, especially to Ed.

The thermometer beeped, and Roy snatched it away before Ed could spit it out on the floor. Roy read the reading displayed on the small screen and cringed.

 _39.8._

 _Dangit! How did I not notice how high his fever was before now!?_

"Well? How bad s'it?" Edward slurred, eyelids drooping. Roy thought about telling him the truth, and he knew Edward would appreciate the stone-hard truth over a fluffy lie, but looking at the kid's face...he almost looked... _scared_...and Roy didn't have the heart to feed that fear.

"Don't worry about it," said Roy, pressing his hand over the cold patch on Ed's forehead. _I'll have to change it out for something colder in a minute…_ "Give it a few hours and you'll be fine."

Ed blinked twice. He looked disbelieving, but then, he never looked one hundred percent trusting when it came to Roy, so it could have meant anything. But he didn't speak a word, which meant he hadn't seen through Roy's lie, and that was a relief.

"Sure...whatever…" Ed muttered, and his eyes closed.

Roy moved his hand from Ed's forehead to his automail shoulder. "Get some rest, alright?" he prompted. "I'll wake you up later."

"Don't...bother..." And before he could even fully finish his thought, Ed was sleeping. Roy rose from his knees and made for the kitchen. If the cold patches didn't do their job, he'd have to find something else that would.

…

Ed bolted awake while at the same time a particularly loud bit of lightning crashed through the sky. Rain pattered against the rooftop threateningly, like it was trying to break through the roof by force, and Ed sucked in several deep, shaky, harsh breaths that grated his throat and made his chest ache. He could feel himself sweating profusely, and it wasn't because of his fever, nor was it because of his multiple blankets - he knew this much.

It'd happened again.

Another nightmare. Another memory. Another cruel reminder of the people he hadn't managed to save. His mom, Al's body, Nina…

He sucked in a breath that was too deep for his dry throat, and he instantly broke into a fit of coughing. He hid his face in the crook of his flesh arm, but the coughing just continued, and nothing he did stopped it. A sharp pain shot through his abdomen, and he wrapped his other arm around his stomach, trying to keep the strain off of his wounds.

Sitting up had been a _bad_ idea.

It took him a few moments before he noticed a hand rubbing between his shoulderblades, and it took him even longer to acknowledge Roy's presence beside him. Ed felt unusually dizzy and lightheaded, which was why he didn't bother telling Roy to "shove off." And anyways, Roy was helping him get his coughing under control, so he really didn't have reason to protest, anyways.

"Easy, kid, easy," said Roy, after Ed's fit of choking diminished and turned into nothing more than a few feeble coughs. "Relax. Breathe."

Ed nodded shakily and did just that, trying to steady his breathing. He pulled his arm away from his mouth and looked down at his skin; he wasn't coughing up any blood, which made him able to assume that the bullet hadn't nicked his lungs...and the fact he wasn't puking blood told him that it also had missed his stomach…

Huh. It seemed he was lucky (maybe, sort of, a little tiny bit…?) after all.

He fell against the back of the couch, exhausted, wanting nothing more than to sleep and sleep and _stay sleeping_ for a very long time, but all the same, sleep seemed to haunt him right now, and his fever wasn't helping matters.

Roy patted his back twice and withdrew his hand once he was sure Ed was breathing normally again. He folded his hands, waited a beat or two, and then spoke.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Ed considered this for a moment, and Roy genuinely wished the boy would spill the beans and tell him what was on his mind, but then again, this was Edward Elric, a sarcastic, cynical, cursing little brat who hardly trusted anyone (as the rest of Central called him), so it was unlikely he would say anything.

"...No," Ed croaked, but there was a problem, and the problem had nothing to do with the fact that he didn't _want_ to tell Roy, because Roy respected Edward's privacy and didn't want to force him into saying anything he wasn't comfortable with.

No, the _real_ problem was the fact that Ed spoke like he was ashamed. Ashamed of _himself._ And yes, that was a problem.

Roy squeezed Ed's shoulder in reassurance and shook his head. "No worries, kid, no worries," he said. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, I get it. You've seen hell on earth, haven't you?"

Ed sighed and shut his eyes in apparent relief, glad he didn't have to recount his nightmare verbally. It was enough to imagine it, but speaking it and describing it would only be worse. "...Y-Yeah," he said. "Thanks…heh heh...I didn't know you actually cared..."

Roy frowned. Oh boy. Was this the fever talking, or was Ed actually serious? It was impossible to tell as of now...but Ed did sound confused, like he didn't understand what he was saying himself.

"I care very much about my subordinates, Edward," said Roy, giving Ed the benefit of the doubt and assuming that the boy was speaking honestly. "I'm sorry I made you think otherwise."

Ed leaned back into the couch, curling in on himself and bundling three heavy blankets around his shoulders. He knew he had a fever, because of how lightheaded and dizzy he felt, but at the same time, he felt chilled, like someone was dropping ice cubes down his back, so the blankets were necessary.

"...You...didn't, really...but I don't get it…" he managed, because right now, riddled by heavy pain and high fever, he was confused. "Why the sudden confession…?"

Roy put his hands together. It was now or never. "I just wanted to let you know, Ed, you're a really special kid," said Roy. "And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to, by any means, replace your father...but if you ever need anything, or someone to talk to...I'm here for you, alright?"

He made sure to at least mention that he wasn't trying to fill Ed's father's shoes, because he knew how much Ed hated his father currently, and by the fact that Ed didn't immediately flip out and call him a dozen rude names, it was appreciated.

Ed looked up at him, eyes only half open, so really, he was probably only half-aware of the situation, but regardless of this, he managed a soft, exhausted smile. "Even though you're a royal j-jerk?"

Roy sighed heavily and stared at the ground. Well, what was he supposed to say to that? If he disagreed, Ed would say he was in denial of the truth, so in the end, Roy settled for agreement, saying, "Yeah, Ed. Even though I'm a royal jerk," even if he didn't fully mean it.

Ed sighed and let his eyes close. "Good," he said. "So you finally admit to it." He was quiet for a minute or two, his breathing slowing bit by bit, but just when Roy thought he was asleep, Ed spoke again. "And...just for the record...you aren't... _always_ useless."

Roy sighed. "Thanks."

Despite the somewhat compliment, Edward was quick to add, "And don't let it go to your head," with a twirl of his finger around his temple.

Roy put up his hands in surrender. "Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are incredible! Truly incredible! Thank you so much for all your continued support! I love you all very very much and never forget that! :D So, as it turns out, I think this fic is going to go on for a liiiitttlllee while longer than I originally anticipated - I think it'll end up being six chapters instead of five. I put in a bit of humor at the end of this because...well...I'm not going to say it gets _worse_ , bbuuuuttt...it gets worse. XD Anyways, enjoy chapter 4! :D **

* * *

**Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

* * *

Ed's fever made a turn for the worst in the dead of night. Seriously, this night seemed to last forever, as did the thunderous, tumultuous storm outside. There were times when it seemed the entire house was shaking by the mere force of the raindrops pelting against the roof. In fact, Ed actually woke up once by these pelting raindrops, asking whether or not someone was open-firing a machine gun.

Of course, most of that was due to the fever, but even Roy himself could fairly compare the rain with bullets. His thoughts didn't wander much; the only reason he considered the rain in the first place was because there was nothing he could do, no help he could get, until the rain let up.

He'd tried to get the landline working. He'd tried and tried and tried until he didn't have the strength to use alchemy again, but it was all to no avail. He was at the conclusion that they were in the middle of a power-outage, because otherwise, he should have been able to get the line running long enough to make an emergency call to Central.

But no such luck. Of course. It figured. Roy was beginning to wonder if luck even _existed_ in either him or Edward _,_ neither of which had had "lucky" experiences.

After filling a basin with cold rainwater and leaving more basins out to keep collecting, he found a rag in the kitchen, soaked it in the water and, without bothering to wring it out first, pressed it to Ed's burning forehead. Ed twitched and grunted incoherently, but didn't wake.

His fever was draining him, little by little, and Roy knew it.

"Hey...Edward," Roy said, deciding at the last minute to call the kid by his name and not his alias, "I need you to wake up."

Edward tried to roll over on his side, away from Roy, but in the end, all he managed to do was jerk his head and whine quietly in pain. The wound obviously hurt a heck of a lot more than Edward let on.

But no matter. Either way, Roy still had to get him up.

"Edward, come on, I know you hear me, said Roy warningly.

"...No I don't."

Roy groaned. "Come on, stop being so difficult. I need to make sure your fever hasn't gotten any higher."

Ed raised a hand and tried slapping Roy, but all Roy had to do to stop him was catch his wrist. "You jus' checked it…" Ed slurred. "You don' have'ta do it again…"

"Oh, I think I do, Fullmetal," said Roy. "So stop being so stubborn and open your dang mouth. You're hurt, which makes me the stronger one here. If you don't do it willingly, I'll have to force you, and I don't think either of us want that."

"Heh…" Ed exhaled deeply. "Funny you should mention...bein' hurt...that bullet...it was supposed to be yours... _I_ took it for you, which means...which means you owe me your life. You're indebted to me. So...you tell me...who's really the superior here, Colonel Idiot?"

Urgh. They didn't have time for pointless quarrels.

"Yes, I know, you took the bullet for me," said Roy flatly, "and I'm trying to pay you back by saving your life here. Equivalent exchange, that's the law we alchemists live by, and I'm not going to sit by and watch you die just because you can't _put a dang thermometer in your mouth!_ So stop being so _stubborn!"_

He waited for a response, maybe a half-hearted fit of rage from his young subordinate, but he received no answer. At this, Roy finally calmed himself and took a moment to really study Ed's features.

"Hey, kid…?"

He prodded Ed's shoulder. Nothing.

Great. The little twit had fallen asleep again. Roy didn't even know how much of the lecture Ed heard.

"Oh, for the love of…" Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh.

As much as he hated to admit it...Ed had been partially right. Before Ed had swung him out of the way, Roy had managed to look over his shoulder at Shredder. Shredder had been aiming for Roy's upper back, lined up with his heart.

When Ed intervened, he'd inevitably jumped, something he always did while fighting due to his height, and that lined Shredder's bullet up with the boy's stomach.

The bullet had gone straight through Ed's abdomen, in one way and out the other, in just an instant.

If Ed hadn't jumped in when he did...the bullet would have gone through Roy's back…

...Straight through his heart...

...And out his chest.

There was no doubt about it. Ed had definitely saved his life.

 _But that doesn't mean I have to_ listen _to him,_ thought Roy to himself, and he had half a mind to shout it to Edward right now, even if the lad wasn't awake. _He saved my life. Now it's my turn to save his._

He managed to get the thermometer under Ed's tongue, and he waited impatiently for the reading. After checking the screen once it beeped, Roy discovered that Ed's fever had risen a half a degree, so it wasn't that much higher, but it was still high enough to raise concern. Roy had actually managed to make it go down a few notches earlier, but now, his work had been balanced out. Nothing he accomplished earlier mattered anymore.

"Dangit, Edward…" he murmured. "You idiot. You _idiot_."

Despite his fever, Edward was shivering, and even though Roy wanted to get the boy's temperature down as soon as possible, he couldn't leave the poor kid to suffer like that, so he pulled the blanket further over Ed's shoulders (he'd had to take away the other two earlier - that was one of the main things that had got the boy's fever down), re-wet the rag on his forehead, and headed out to switch out the basin of warm water for cold water.

All the while, the night and the storm plunged on.

…

An hour or two later found Roy with his nose in a small map of the area he'd found in an old drawer in the house's abandoned study, and the Colonel searched for the nearest civilized building, the nearest hospital, heck, even the nearest _phone box_ , but none of them were a short distance from their current location.

And besides, even if Roy _could_ make the trip, there was no way _Ed_ could, and Roy wasn't about to leave the alchemist alone in the state he was in. Roy cursed himself. Despite what he'd told Ed earlier, after apprehending Shredder, he _had_ dropped his communication device, so he honestly had no idea where it was. He'd had it during the fight with Shredder, but not afterwards.

They had no means of communication. No nearby phone boxes, hospitals, or military centrals. They were, in a sense, in the middle of nowhere, in an abandoned part of a low-life city, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

He could only hope that somewhere along the line, someone from Central got worried and came looking for them.

Right now, that was his _only_ hope. Roy thought about those closest to him; Havoc, Hawkeye, Hughes...were they even wondering why he hadn't returned? Did they know something was wrong, or did they think he was just late in coming back? Surely they weren't stupid.

And then there were those closest to Edward, and of that list, Roy could only recall one: Alphonse, Edward's little brother. Surely _Alphonse_ could figure out something wasn't right. From what Roy knew, Edward wasn't one to run off without telling his brother where he was going…

Did _anyone_ suspect that _anything_ was wrong, _at all?_ Surely _someone-_

"ROY! _ROY!"_

Roy stiffened and leapt from the creaky office chair he'd been sitting in. Those shouts...they'd come from the living room...and wasn't…

 _Wasn't Edward in the living room?_

 _Alone?_

"Edward!" Roy shouted, and he made a break for the door.

He stopped at the last second, avoiding a head-on collision with yours truly. Edward stood in the hallway, by the doorframe, gasping for breath. He looked dead, actually, like a robotic corpse, but more than that, he looked terrified. He was pale, golden hair in tangled knots over his shoulders, and while his automail arm, placed against the wall, helped keep his balance, his other arm was wrapped tightly around his stomach.

"Edward, what is it!?" Roy demanded, hurrying forward to grab Edward by his shoulders, just as he began to fall forward. "What's wrong!?" He reached for his gun, suddenly overwhelmed by a fierce protective - almost _parental_ \- instinct. But his gun didn't seem to be around. _Dangit! Did I seriously drop that, too!?_

"They're...laughing…" Edward panted, and Roy's attention was drawn to him again. "And...and singing…"

Roy's panic dimmed, but his confusion skyrocketed. _What the...what the h-_ "What are you talking about? Ed, sit down, you're going to collapse-"

" _THE BOOKS!"_ Edward shrieked, and yes, now he _definitely_ sounded and looked loads younger than he was. "THE BOOKS ARE LAUGHING AT ME!"

Roy stared into the boy's haunted eyes. Edward stared back. And then, wordlessly, Roy slammed his hand against Ed's forehead.

"Your fever's gone up." Dang, and now Edward was _delusional_ , too, and _childish_. Wasn't that just the icing on the cake.

"Forget about that!" shouted Edward furiously. "What are you going to do about the _books!?"_

Roy had left a small stack of books on the bedside table; medical books that he'd found while digging around in the study. And now Ed was hallucinating, and the books were a prime object for these hallucinations.

Huh. The Fullmetal Alchemist, child prodigy, gaining a State Alchemist certification when he was twelve, was haunted by singing, giggling books.

It was almost hilarious.

Almost.

"Alright, come on, kid," Roy said, steadying Edward again when he nearly toppled over. "You've got to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself." He still didn't know how Edward actually _got up_ in the first place; most soldiers laid low for a _long_ time after getting shot.

But then again, Ed had never been like "most soldiers."

"But...the books…" Edward said tiredly, jabbing a finger over his shoulder.

"I'll take care of the books," said Roy, hoping he didn't sound as exasperated as he felt. "Don't worry."

"Oh...good…" Edward said, and his eyes were rapidly becoming less and less focused. "In that case, I guess I'll…" His knees buckled, his eyes shut, and he fell forward.

Roy was already holding him by his shoulders, so it didn't take much to catch Edward altogether. Besides, he had been expecting the kid to collapse sooner or later. With a heavy sigh, he hefted Ed into his arms and strode back down the hallway.

Ed's fever had definitely gone up.


	5. Chapter 5

**This story just keeps getting longer and longer, but this time I'm fairly certain chapter 7 will be the last. I have a few more things I'd like to do as far as torturing our poor Edward goes *heh heh heh* so we'll see how it goes, 'kay? :D Anyways, you guys are totally amazing! Thank you so much for all of your continued support, it means a lot to me! :D I'm going to follow the advice one of my reviewers gave me and try contacting the servers of Fanfiction to see if they can't fix my little review problem, and if they fix it, I'll do shout-outs on the last chapter! :D Yay! :D Anyways, please enjoy chapter 5! :D**

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 **Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

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 _Snap!_

The books caught fire and burned in the small fireplace. Page by page curled in on themselves and burned through, reduced to ashes in a matter of minutes. Edward sat on the couch, blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders, staring at the flames with almost surreal curiosity.

Roy got up from where he was kneeling and turned back to Edward. "There you go," he said, gesturing to the pile of burnt paper behind him. "Now they won't laugh at you."

Edward shifted his gaze to Roy, and then back at the fireplace, back at the burning books. "...But now they look sad," said Edward, frowning.

"Urgh. It's never good enough for you, is it, kid?" said Roy, shaking his head. Once the papers were reduced to a heap of ashes, he snuffed out the fire, snatched the thermometer from the table, and headed back to the couch. "Here. Open."

Edward's fever must have been higher than Roy thought, because the boy opened his mouth obediently and held the thermometer under his tongue until it beeped. Roy took it back and read the screen's reading.

 _39.9._

He sighed. "Well, congrats, kid," he said under his breath, grabbing the rag from the basin, wringing it out, and pressing it to Ed's forehead. "You're officially a furnace."

Ed muttered something incoherent and leaned back, shutting his eyes. He then turned onto his side, curling into himself, pulling the blanket closer while squeezing his eyes shut. Roy sighed.

"You're straining your wounds, Ed," he said. "You should relax."

A moment later, Ed _did_ relax, but only because he'd fallen asleep. Roy sighed heavily, smoothed back Ed's blond hair, and checked his forehead out of habit. It was no wonder Edward kept falling asleep so suddenly; his fever, no doubt, kept him exhausted.

Roy replaced the rag on his head, stood, and made for the kitchen. That was where he'd left the map of the city from earlier. He snatched it from the counter, opened it up again, and let his eyes scan it once more.

If there was _any_ way he could get help, he had to try. He wasn't about to give up on his young subordinate. If he didn't get Ed help soon...

 _Don't panic, don't panic_ , he consoled himself, taking a moment to shut his eyes. _Ed's strong. He'll beat this._

Despite the somewhat reassurance, Roy couldn't help but glance with soft, worried eyes at his resting subordinate. He could see Ed's chest rising and falling from here, breathing heavily, and there was a small wheeze to each breath. Breathing hurt, no doubt, with the cauterized wounds, but it couldn't be helped; Roy had searched earlier for medicine in the abandoned house and came out empty-handed.

He scanned the map one final time, but was already feeling defeated. He'd looked multiple times before; what would one more time accomplish?

But this time, as his eyes ran breezily over the paper, they stopped on something they'd failed to notice every previous time.

A phone box, at the end of the same street the abandoned house was on. Roy blinked at it, gaped for a moment or two, hardly able to believe this sudden strike of dumb luck. A phone box. And it wasn't even that far away from where he and Ed were currently.

He blinked, hardly able to grasp it.

With a phone box, he could make an emergency call to Central.

And more importantly... _he could get help for Ed._

Roy quickly folded the map, stuffed it into his pocket, swung on his military jacket, and made for the door (or, the doorframe, more like - he'd broken down the door earlier that night). The sooner he could get to that phone box, the sooner he could send in for help.

But at the very last second, he hesitated, and glanced back over his shoulder at the couch.

Ed was curled up on his side, clutching his blankets, shivering. Roy hated to leave him alone, but, at the same time, Roy really didn't have a choice. Ed needed help that Roy couldn't supply. Ed needed medicine, a proper doctor... _loads_ of things.

He rushed to the couch and laid his hand on Ed's shoulder. "Hey, Edward," he said, "wake up for a second."

"What…?" Edward rasped quietly without opening his eyes or fully acknowledging Roy at all, and Roy was momentarily startled by how weak Ed's voice was; the boy _really_ didn't sound good…

"I'll be right back," said Roy, lowering his voice significantly. "There's a phone box right around the corner, I'm going to see if I can't call Central."

"Do whatever you want...Colonel…" Ed was definitely out of it if he was dropping his trademark insult. His breathing became deeper, indicating he'd fallen back asleep, and Roy squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'll be back," Roy repeated, and he sped outside and tore down the soaked sidewalks at record speed.

It was still raining. Thunder crashed overhead, and lightning shot through the sky. All the street lamps had gone out, and Roy could only pray and hope the power outage had let up. If not...there would be no way he could get the phone working…

His feet pounded against hard, wet cement. He dashed through puddles of murky street water and didn't give a darn. The longer he took making it to the phone box, the longer Ed would be alone, and the longer Ed would go without help.

It took a little while of running before he grew tired, but he didn't let it stop him. He pushed himself even faster. He kept his gloved hand tucked away in his pocket, and every now and then, he would whip it out and snap a spark to life. The rain extinguished it almost instantly, but it gave Roy just enough light to see where he was going, and that was the important thing.

When he finally made it to the phone box at the end of the street, he was panting, gasping heavily for breath, and he felt like shrieking and laughing in relief, but he restrained himself. He still didn't know if the phone box was operational. With the conditions the houses were in, it wouldn't have surprised him if the lines were all down.

But he had to try. It was the least he could do.

He threw open the phone box's door so fast he heard it snap, and he instantly picked up the phone and pressed it to his ear.

He could hear the rain hit the asphalt. He could hear the thunder from the clouds, the lightning from the storm.

And from the phone, he heard a series of flat, monotone beeps.

The phone line was down.

"No!" Roy shouted, hanging up the phone and taking it again. No, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening! And just when things were starting to look like they might turn out okay, too.

"No! Son of a-!" What Roy shouted next was drowned out by a series of lightning clashes and rolling thunder. The rain pelted down harder than ever, almost like it was trying to drown the whole world.

He felt so betrayed by the phone box that, if he hadn't been soaked, he would have set it ablaze.

At the same time, he knew burning the phone box would do nothing but waste valuable time.

Now that Roy knew the phone box was a no-go, he called back to mind Edward, alone in the abandoned house, and he instantly tore back down the street, back to his sick, wounded subordinate.

The rain let up all at once, but Roy's fear did not.

All the while, as he ran, he thought again and again on how he would get help. Where could he go? He couldn't carry Edward all the way back to Central, and even if he could, the cold would only serve to make Ed sicker, and that was something Roy couldn't risk. Already, Edward was ill enough without the influence of the weather. It wouldn't take much more for his illness or his injury to turn fatal.

When he returned to the abandoned house, he charged through the doorway and tore off his jacket, which was sopping wet at this point. He tossed it aside, along with the map (which he also thought about burning) and his wet gloves. Then, he shifted his gaze to the couch.

Edward wasn't there.

Instead, Edward was, oddly enough, on the floor, a tangle of awkwardly-positioned limbs, blond hair, and blanket. Roy studied Ed for a moment, ready to waltz over there and put the kid back on the couch where he belonged…

But then he realized something quite disturbing.

Before he left for the phone box, he'd been able to see Ed's shoulders and chest rising and falling with every deep breath he took.

But now...he couldn't see it. Ed was still, almost startling still, like he'd been frozen in place.

 _Roy couldn't tell whether or not he was breathing_.

"Edward!" Roy shouted before he could stop himself, and he charged over, probably even faster than he'd torn down the sidewalk, and he skidded to his knees, grabbed Ed by his shoulders, and pulled the boy into his arms.

Edward was entirely limp, which did nothing to stop Roy's panic. Roy desperately searched for any sign of life, but he could see none.

"No, no, come on, Edward, don't do this to me," Roy pleaded, quite frantic. "C'mon, come on, don't do this, please don't do this..." He pressed two fingers into Ed's neck and waited, holding his breath.

Edward's faint but steady pulse thudded against his fingers. Roy let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling weak, and he tightened his grip on Edward, embracing the young alchemist without fully registering what he was doing.

"You're alive…" Roy breathed, shutting his eyes, holding Edward just a little bit tighter. "You're alive...you're alive…"

Roy would have been content sitting there like that forever, but just then, Ed murmured incoherently and stirred. Roy pulled back only somewhat, still supporting the boy entirely, because Roy doubted he'd be able to sit up on his own, and Ed cracked open golden, fever-bright eyes to stare up at Roy blearily.

"C-Colonel?" he muttered, slurring his words. "Wh...why…?" He blinked a few times. "Why're we on the floor…?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," said Roy, reaching up and snatching the thermometer from the side table; when he'd hugged Ed, he could tell that the boy's fever had risen (again) and he wanted to see how bad it really was. "Did you roll off the couch, or what?"

Ed blinked twice more and frowned, thinking. "...No," he said. "I don't...I don't think I did…"

"Then what?" asked Roy, ready to have Edward put the thermometer back in his mouth.

"...I...I...I f-fell…?"

"Yeah, no kidding, Fullmetal. I meant _how_ did you fall? Were you trying to get up? You know all that does is put strain on your wounds, you really shouldn't have-"

Edward swallowed thickly. "I...I thought…" he began, and he gulped again. "I thought I saw Mom."

Roy froze.

"...Oh…" he said dumbly.

Dang.

Roy may have been useless in the rain, but when it came to sensitive matters like this, he was even _more_ useless. "Your mother?" he asked, to clarify, a small part of him hoping that he'd heard Ed wrong.

Ed nodded feverishly, and Roy was thoroughly shocked when a tear rolled down the boy's flushed cheek. "S-She was right t-there," he stammered. "A-and then...and t-then s-she wasn't…"

He sucked in a deep, shaky breath, which he coughed and choked out. Roy tightened his grip, like it would somehow help, and he felt Ed shudder.

"I'm sorry, Edward," said Roy quietly, suddenly overwhelmed by a fierce urge to protect Ed with everything he had. "I'm truly sorry."

Edward was shaking his head before Roy even finished speaking. "N-No, don't be," he whispered, and his voice was laced with tears just begging to be shed. "It's...it's my fault. I...I-I made her suffer. It's…" He squeezed his eyes shut and ducked his head. "...It's my fault." One tear turned into two, and two turned into three.

This was definitely the fever talking, Roy knew that much. Ed never would have let this much slip on regular circumstances, but under the influence of fever, pain and stress, he did.

And Roy didn't know how to respond.

"...It's not your fault, Edward," Roy said firmly. "You didn't kill your mother. I swear to you, it wasn't your fault. Her death was a tragedy, but...you aren't to blame."

Edward took in another deep breath, but instead of arguing, like Roy had expected him to, Edward choked out a sound between a cough and a sob, and his tears increased.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and Roy knew that he was not the one Edward was speaking to. "I-I-I'm sorry, Mom…"

Roy embraced him, not knowing what else to do, and this time, Edward actually hugged back, something he would never do if he was in his right frame of mind, his tears never ebbing.

In that moment, Roy felt more useless than ever.

And it wasn't even raining.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this took me so long, guys! I'm so sorry! I mean, seriously, I had NO IDEA what to write for this chapter, so I lost my train of thought for a little while, but I got back on track and now here we are! :D I think this fic might actually get up to eight chapters...I can promise you it will definitely be more than seven...dangit, hahahahaha! Oh well! *shrugs with mock innocence* Looks like I'll just have to torture Edward a little more, huh? *rubs hands together***

 **In all seriousness, though, thank you so much for all your reviews! :D**

 **UPDATE: I FIXED ALL THE ERRORS IN THIS CHAPTER NOW! YAY! :D**

 **Anyways, enjoy chapter 6! :D**

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 **Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

* * *

 _40.1._

Roy cursed under his breath. No wonder Ed was so delusional, he was burning up. Roy set the thermometer back on the table, hefted Ed into his arms again, and set the boy back down on the couch. Ed was so out of it he didn't even protest.

Roy sat him up and raised Edward's shirt, revealing the tan bandages and gauze wound around his stomach. Roy carefully unwound them; he hadn't checked either wound since bandaging them earlier, and he only hoped he'd done a thorough job of cauterizing them.

He couldn't help but flinch at the sight of them. The entrance and exit wounds had both been cauterized well, Roy realized now, but they still looked painful, and they oozed putrid fluids. Edward squirmed when the cold air hit his wounds, and Roy was quick to bandage them back up.

He'd seen wounds before. He'd fought in a _war_ , for goodness' sake. He'd seen tons of wounds, tons of _bullet_ wounds, like Edward's, and had watched his companions die by more than a few.

He didn't know why he was so pained and sickened by Edward's.

Maybe it was because the wounds _were_ Edward's. Edward was just a kid, and getting hurt like this, for no good reason...it made Roy sick.

He heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head to break his train of thought.

Well, at least now he knew Edward wasn't still bleeding.

Ed hissed through his teeth, and Roy's attention was drawn back to him in an instant. "It hurts," Edward whined, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I know, Ed," said Roy, grabbing the blanket from the floor and throwing it over his subordinate, "I'm sorry, but I had to check the wounds, make sure they weren't bleeding."

Ed groaned quietly in response, and Roy pulled the blanket further over his shoulder. He considered removing Edward's automail, because there was just no way sleeping in it on a rainy day in the bitter cold with a bad fever and bullet wound could be comfortable, but he tossed aside the thought almost as soon as it came to him. He didn't know how to remove Edward's automail, and Edward was definitely too out of it to do it safely himself.

So.

"...Thanks," Edward said out of the blue, and Roy's attention was, once again, pulled back to Edward.

Roy furrowed his brow. "What for?" he inquired.

Edward cracked open his eyes, glanced at Roy, and then shut them again with a small sigh. "...For...well…" he began, and he paused for a few moments. "I guess...I guess I kind of forgot what it was like...to be weak. Even for a moment. It almost..." He paused again. "...It almost felt...relieving."

"It's not weakness, Edward," said Roy, being as firm as possible without coming across as condescending. "You aren't weak. You've just...you've just been strong for so long, that's all. It's not weakness. It's letting go."

Edward exhaled sharply through his nose in a half hearted attempt at a chuckle and smirked softly. "Sure," he said breathily. His smile faded after a moment, and there was a few beats of silence. "...But in all seriousness...thank you...for listening."

Roy scoffed, but he did it good-naturedly, in such a way that Edward would know he was only joking. "Don't worry, I won't make it a habit," he said.

"Ha. You wouldn't _dare_."

Even though Ed wasn't anywhere near out of the woods, Roy felt a little better knowing the boy still had some fire in him; Edward hadn't given up the battle yet. He was still stubborn; he was still fighting; still holding on to life.

And frankly, that was the most important thing to Roy right now. If Edward could hang on just a little bit longer...Roy knew help would come. He knew the others at Central would come looking for them eventually, and he knew they would find him and his subordinate.

He just had to wait, a little longer.

Just a little bit longer.

And Edward had to hold on just a little bit longer, too, long enough to get him some real help.

"Hey, kid?"

"Mnnn, what?"

"How're you feeling?"

Edward thought about this for a moment, like he was wondering whether or not to be honest, before answering. "...I guess...honestly...not so great. I'm just..." He sucked in a deep breath and sighed. "...Really, really tired."

"Mmm-hmm," said Roy, putting his hands together and resting his chin on his knuckles. "I figured. Go back to sleep if you want, I'm gonna check the landline again."

"'Kay."

Wow, he must have really felt awful to be agreeing with Roy so quickly. Frankly, it was beginning to worry Roy more than he would ever let on. This wasn't the Fullmetal Alchemist he was used to. This was another side of Ed he'd never known existed.

Well, okay, that wasn't entirely true; he'd always _assumed_ Edward had a vulnerable side, but he never knew for sure until now.

He'd begun to care for the boy, and he knew the rest of his subordinates at Central felt the same way. When he'd first met Edward, the kid was nothing more than just another State Alchemist, just another person Roy was in charge of.

But, just like all his other subordinates, he found himself caring for Edward, almost like...almost like a father.

Ha. Edward would surely laugh if Roy ever told him, but it was true. And the rest of Central, Havoc, Breda, Hughes, Hawkeye...they'd begun to see Edward as family, too. Edward and Alphonse both.

Roy didn't know what they would do if Edward didn't pull through this...

He shook his head. _Stay away from that train of thought, stay AWAY from that train of thought._ Negativity would only serve to make the situation that much worse.

He checked the phone.

The landline was still down.

"Yeah, big shock," Roy muttered sarcastically as he slammed the phone back onto its port, probably with more force than was necessary, but right now, Roy was furious. He felt like the whole world had turned on him.

He braced his hands against the cracked countertop of the abandoned kitchen and lowered his head. The rain had let up hours ago, but it was replaced by howling wind; Roy could hear it race down the street and whistle through shudders.

He glanced over at the couch. Edward was lying on his side, with his back to Roy, and even from here Roy could hear his hoarse breathing. If things progressed like this...if the boy's fever kept going up…

Roy shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

"Please," he whispered in desperation, and he didn't know who he was talking to. "Please, just...just let him live. Let him live."

 _Hang in there, Ed, just a little bit longer..._

…

 _40.7_.

Roy bit his lip so hard he was sure he would draw blood, staring down at the thermometer's reading. Ed's fever wasn't going down at all no matter what he did. He re-wet the rag in a basin of (freezing) water and pressed it against Ed's forehead once more.

This wasn't good. Not good at all. This was as bad as Edward had been so far, and his fever wasn't taming. It wasn't staying steady. It was rising, even now, and Roy knew it.

"Edward, are you with me?" Roy asked, taking Ed by his shoulder and shaking him, just enough to rouse him. Ed moaned pitifully and didn't reply otherwise. But that was alright; honestly, Roy hadn't been expecting him to.

If Roy had thought Edward looked bad before, he looked downright _horrible_ now. His cheeks were flushed, the rest of his face washed out by a sickly, chalky pale. His bangs were plastered to his forehead with sweat.

Roy was becoming frantic; desperate. He didn't know what to do anymore, and the weather had grown worse, like it was trying to make Roy's situation more difficult than it already was.

"Gah...it's freezin'..." Ed muttered under his breath, as though he were talking to himself. "Al, get up and shut the window…"

Roy had opened the windows of the house earlier to try and bring down Ed's fever, but even without the open windows, the house didn't have a door, and wind was able to sweep right through. And yes, it _was_ rather chilly, but Roy didn't dare close the windows now. If Ed's fever got even slightly higher…

There was no positive way to finish that thought.

But still, even so, Roy threw a second blanket over Edward. He was too terrified to close the windows, but at least he could comfort Edward a little bit, not that the one extra blanket would supply him with much more warmth.

"Sorry, Ed, but I'm not your brother," said Roy. "And the windows need to stay open."

Edward groaned. "Freezing."

"I know, it's pretty cold, but believe it or not, you're actually burning up."

"Don't care. Cold."

"Sorry."

Roy wasn't even sure of how aware Edward really was anymore. More than once, Edward had called Roy "Al" and sometimes cursed under his breath about "infernal stray cats." He'd even recited the entire periodic table in a small bout of feverish babbling.

Roy pressed the rag firmly against Ed's forehead. "If your fever goes down, I'll shut the window," Roy said, "but not right now."

Edward didn't answer, not that Roy had been expecting him to, and Roy sighed heavily, dragged himself off the edge of the couch to his feet, and made for the kitchen, ready to do one last futile sweep of the house to be absolutely certain there weren't any bottles of medications lying around.

But cold fingers curled around his wrist, suddenly halting his movements, and Roy turned back to Edward.

"...Where're you goin'?" Ed slurred tiredly; his grip on Roy's wrist was surprisingly tight despite his condition, and there was a waver to Ed's voice.

"To see if there's any kind of ibuprofen or aspirin lying around," said Roy. "It won't take me more than a-"

"Don't," Ed said. His voice was shaking, but at the same time, oddly firm. Roy could even hear a hint of desperation; like it was a plea. "...I-I can't...I'm…I'm..."

"Ed?" Roy took back his seat, sitting beside where Edward was lying on the edge of the couch. "Are you alright?"

Stupid question, probably, but either way, Roy had to know.

Edward swallowed thickly and shook his head. "...No," he said. "I'm not, I'm...I'm terrified...I can't…" He suddenly seemed to realize just what he was saying, and he released Roy's wrist and pulled the blanket up over his head.

"...I'm so pathetic…" It was a quiet whisper, but it came out pained and choked.

Roy reached up and yanked the blanket away from Ed's face. Whether it was sweat or tears running down Edward's cheeks, Roy couldn't tell. "You're not pathetic," said Roy. "You're sick, you're hurt, you have every right to be scared-"

"I can't die!" Edward shrieked, and he took in a deep, shuddering breath, calming dramatically. He shut his eyes again. "I...I c-can't...I'm not...I'm not ready to…"

"You aren't dying," Roy promised, but even he himself didn't know for how long that promise would last. "You're going to be fine, kid, you hear me? Fine." He raised his hand, hesitated a moment or two, then set his palm against Ed's head. "You're gonna be okay, alright?" Roy said. "I promise."

Edward shuddered and shook his head weakly. "I...I can't...can't die...not yet…" He was back to incoherent, half-conscious mumbling. "'M not ready…"

"You're not dying," Roy repeated ( _Now_ I'm _the one babbling pointlessly,_ he thought). He snatched the thermometer up from the table and managed to get it into Ed's mouth. "Keep that there," Roy said, and Edward nodded halfheartedly, eyes and mouth now closed.

Roy bounced his knee impatiently, and when the thermometer beeped, Roy took it.

And swore loudly.

 _40.9._

"It just keeps going up, doesn't it," he muttered darkly, too quietly for Edward to hear, and he slammed the thermometer back in its place on the table. "Edward, I'm going to need you to get rid of one of the blankets."

"What?" Edward said tiredly, cracking open his eyes ever so slightly. "Why…?" He froze suddenly, and his eyes flew open. "I knew it," he said, and he sounded more horrified than Roy had ever heard him before. _"I KNEW IT!"_

"You knew what?" said Roy, holding back the sudden urge to leap backwards in shock. "What did you know?"

Edward shot into a sitting position before Roy could stop him. Instantly, Ed winced and wrapped an arm tightly around his stomach, hissing through his teeth in pain, but he didn't move to lay down again. "I'm dying, aren't I!?" he screamed. "I'm dying! I'm really dying!"

"No, you're not!" Roy said, hoping he didn't come across as angry (because he wasn't angry - he was panicking). He grabbed Edward by the shoulders, resisting the urge to shake him back and forth. "I said you're not, Edward, I promise you're not!"

"You're lying!" Ed choked, and Roy could hear the fear and terror behind his voice. " _YOU'RE LYING!"_ He sucked in a deep breath, coughed it out, and kept coughing, ducking his head and bringing one hand to cover his mouth.

"Edward!" Roy said, squeezing Ed's shoulders (well, flesh shoulder and automail shoulder, that is). "Calm down. Calm _down!"_

"I...I can't…" Edward coughed, and Roy had to strain to actually hear the boy's words. "I can't...breathe…"

Roy didn't waste any more time. He yanked Edward into a firm embrace, practically crushing the boy against him, running one hand up and down his back between his shoulderblades.

"Don't panic," Roy said firmly; he could feel Edward shuddering and shaking in his hold, and he even felt a few hot tears drip onto his neck. "You're alright. Just breathe. Deep breath in, deep breath out, got it?" He exaggerated his breathing on purpose, trying to give Edward something to follow.

Edward nodded feverishly, too scared to protest, and tried to do as Roy had instructed. It took longer than he hoped. His throat tightened multiple times, and he gasped desperately, trying to force air back into his lungs, and his chest felt like someone was setting a heavyweight on it.

But finally, he calmed down. Roy was still rubbing his back, still reminding him to breathe, and Edward couldn't remember another time he'd felt this safe.

Not since his mother, anyways.

"...You okay for now, kid?" Roy asked quietly. "You sleeping?"

"No," Edward whispered, but now that Roy mentioned it, sleeping sounded like heaven. His fear had left him exhausted. "Not...yet…"

"Yeah. Well, you should get some sleep," Roy told him, and he began to break the embrace and pull back.

Edward panicked involuntarily; he couldn't help it. He was alone, he was terrified, his wounds were downright _killing_ him with pain, and the only person Edward had right now was Roy Mustang, the person who, though Ed would never admit it, had become an almost father-figure - even though Edward really didn't know what having a father was like.

So, he didn't let Roy go. Instead, he snaked his arms around the colonel and held fast. At first, Roy tensed, shocked, but then, he sighed and put his arms around his subordinate once again.

"...Can we just...stay like this…?" Edward asked quietly, shutting his eyes. "I...I don't want…"

 _I don't want to feel alone._ He shut his mouth before he could finish; he'd already let a lot slip as it was. He didn't want to finish that sentence.

But Roy knew exactly what he meant. "I get it, kid, I get it," he said, and Edward relaxed in relief. "As long as you get some sleep."

"...Right...you bet…" Edward whispered, and he let himself fall limp, feeling more protected than he'd felt in years. "Thanks...Roy…"

"You're welcome."

And as Edward drifted off to sleep, his mind grazed over a small train of thought.

 _I'm not going to die._

 _I'll live. I'll live, I'll make sure of it._

 _If only for the people I love_.

 _For Alphonse._

 _For Winry._

 _For Granny._

 _For Roy._

* * *

 **OKAY GUYS. I wanted to say that I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what I'm going to do for the next chapter, so if you guys have any ideas, care to lay them on me? XD I already have the ending of the story planned out, so don't give me any suggestions for a last chapter, please; just chapters like these past few ones, with little plot and lots of fluff. :)**

 **I can't promise I'll use your ideas, but I promise I'll genuinely take each one into consideration. :) Chapter 7 might be a little late in getting out, so I hope you can forgive me; I did make this chapter a bit longer than usual to give you guys some interesting reading material until chapter 7. :)**

 **So anyways, if you have any suggestions, let me know! :D Thanks! :D Drop me a review if you fancy! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey hey hey, my beautiful readers! You guys are so freakin' amazin'! I love you all so much! :D I'm so sorry this chapter took me so long to get out, but it's longer than any of the previous chapters were, and probably a little more intense, too, so I hope you enjoy that. :) If things go as planned, there should be one chapter after this, so it'll finish at eight chapters and X amount of words (I dunno how long the next chapter's gonna be so** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯)** **but hey, eight chapters ain't bad for a fic originally supposed to be only two or three, so I think I did okay. :D**

 **Anyways, let me know what you think of this chapter! The more feedback I receive the better I write! Oh, and so you know, I proof-read three quarters of this chapter, but then decided to go ahead and post it and finish proof-reading it and update a new improved version once I finish. I already updated chapter 6 to an improved version - no plot points have been changed, I just fixed around a few minor errors. :)**

 **Thanks for all your support! :D Enjoy chapter 7! :D**

* * *

 **Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

* * *

When Roy woke up, his first thought was _Dangit, I fell asleep_. He hadn't meant to fall asleep; he hadn't even been feeling that tired before. Maybe his panic had driven him to sleep? That didn't make much sense to him, but it was still possible.

Anyways.

He glanced down; Edward was still sleeping in his arms, breathing deeper and more evenly than ever before, and Roy sighed, tightening his grip around the boy almost protectively. He was relieved Edward was still sleeping, honestly. If the alchemist prodigy could sleep off his fever, Roy had no doubt he would survive his wounds.

Speaking of his fever...Roy pressed one hand against Ed's forehead - the thermometer was over by the other end of the couch, sitting innocently on the side table, and Roy didn't trust himself to reach over and grab it without waking Edward in the process.

So his hand would have to do in determining Ed's temperature.

Edward definitely didn't feel any cooler than before - the highest his fever had gotten was 40.9 so far, and Roy could only hope it hadn't risen any since last he checked with the thermometer.

Poor kid.

That was the only thing that really crossed Roy's mind, as he held the sleeping Edward in a firm but comforting embrace. What had Edward ever done to deserve this kind of pain? Sure, the kid _did_ commit a taboo, but this was extreme, even for equivalent exchange.

And anyways, didn't the kid suffer enough _before_ this incident to make it even? What more was it going to take before Edward finally had some real freedom? It was all very ridiculous and very, _very_ unfortunate.

He sighed heavily and held Ed just a little bit tighter, shutting his eyes.

...

Edward was still sleeping an hour later, out cold, and Roy decided, quite ruefully, that he had to get up and refresh the humid rag for Ed's forehead. Whether he liked it or not, Ed still had a fever, and Roy wasn't about to let it get any higher if there was something he could do to prevent it.

So he carefully untangled Ed's arms from his waist and let the kid settle back into his blankets. Edward tossed and turned for a moment, still sleeping, before he found a comfortable position, curled into a tiny ball on his side with his blankets bundled tightly around him. Satisfied with that, Roy stood, left the rag in the basin of water to soak, and reached up to start closing the windows.

Yes, he knew he had to get Edward's fever down as soon as possible, but the cold air didn't seem to be helping, and Roy knew that if it got _too_ cold, it would do more harm than good. He didn't need Ed getting any sicker, that was for sure.

"Well, the windows are shut now, kid," Roy said, making his way over to the bedside (or, more accurately, couch-side) after shutting the final window. He sat down on the edge of the couch by Edward's head, grabbed the rag from the water, squeezed it out, and settled it on Edward's forehead. Edward didn't even mumble a protest.

Roy sighed heavily at the boy's lack of reaction and shook his head. "You're always doing this to yourself, you know?" he said, leaning against the arm of the couch, arms wrapped around his leg. "Giving up your arm for your brother, shoving me out of the way of that bullet...you have a habit of taking the short end of the stick on purpose. You got a death wish or something, Fullmetal?"

Again, the only response from Edward was a hoarse inhale and exhale of breath, and that response was as good as no response.

Roy smirked softly. "I get where you're coming from, though," he said. "I'm like that, too. You're willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people you care about, even if that means you end up being the one to suffer. In the end, it doesn't really matter to you, or me, because we were the ones who made the decisions to put ourselves in the line of fire, and we certainly don't care about our own well-beings when those of others is at stake…"

A sudden thought struck him, and Roy's smirk faded as soon as it had come, a much more serious tone lacing his voice as he continued.

"...But you know, Ed...in making the choice to suffer in place of the ones you love, you're only making the ones who love you suffer," Roy said. "It's kinda ironic, actually. You suffer so they don't suffer, but then they suffer because you suffer. The world really is twisted, isn't it."

Still no answer. He wasn't even sure if Edward could hear him, and if he could hear him, if he was listening, but it really didn't matter. Rephrased: Roy didn't really _care_. This had been on his chest for a while now, and he finally had the opportunity to get it out.

He put his hand on Edward's shoulder - his automail shoulder, the one to replace the arm he sacrificed to bond his brother's disembodied soul to a suit of armor.

"Nothing will ever keep people like you and me from protecting the people we care about," said Roy, "but at the same time, you need to do the best to take care of yourself, too. You're surrounded by people who love you, Edward, and a lot of them would suffer if you left them for good. Never forget that, alright?"

Edward didn't respond still, but a small tug in the back of Roy's mind told him that the young alchemist had heard everything. Roy muffled his subordinate's matted hair with a small smile.

"Alright," he said, "good," and he rose to his feet, making for the kitchen to do one final sweep of the house for ibuprofen or aspirin.

Whether or not he found anything would determine what he did next.

…

Edward was still out another while later. The storm had started up again, and rain pelted against the rooftops threateningly, and Roy could, once again, hear thunder and lightning crash and bash each other in the sky above. The cold air whisked itself through the empty doorframe and into the house - Roy was glad he'd shut the windows earlier, because the rain had commenced almost immediately afterwards.

"Alright, Edward, I've gotta check your fever again," Roy told the sleeping boy as he sat beside him on the couch, thermometer in hand. "You should know this routine by now, honestly."

Edward didn't answer. Roy sighed. Why did the kid have to be so stubborn? He was almost as unmovable in his sleep than he was in his wake.

"C'mon, Ed," Roy said, grabbing Ed's shoulder in his free hand and giving him a small shake. "I'm serious. Wake up."

Edward didn't respond even in the slightest. He didn't grumble or take a swing at Roy's head, like he'd done before on multiple occasions. A small spark of worry kindled in Roy's gut, but he tried to ignore it, which became harder and harder with every passing second.

Because, like real sparks, even a small one was all it took to create a ginormous fire.

"Edward," Roy said, "I found some pills, I need you to take them." After some digging around in the kitchen, he'd managed to unearth a ziplock bag of pills. Luckily, someone had been smart enough to label the bag as ibuprofens, and even though the label was fading, Roy could still make it out.

But again, Roy didn't receive any sort of answer from Edward, and now, that once small spark of worry had progressed into something much bigger.

" _Edward_ ," he said, somewhat louder than before, and he reached out, shaking Ed's shoulder as hard as he dared. "I won't ask you again, kid. Get up. Right now. That's an order."

He waited.

But then again, Edward had never been one to follow orders.

Roy growled loudly and shook Edward just a little harder. "Dangit, you puny, tiny little shrimp, _wake up!"_ he finally shouted, giving up on all previous attempts at a gentle approach.

Edward's golden, fever-bright eyes finally slid open, just slightly, and he blinked up at Roy tiredly. "Wazzit…?" he murmured, breathless.

Roy didn't trust the boy to stay awake for much longer; already, his eyes were slipping shut, and it was fair to say that Roy was downright _panicking_ right about now.

"Alright, Edward, up you get," he said, while slipping an arm under Edward's shoulders and lifting him into a sitting position. Edward's black shirt was damp with sweat, and he was a dead weight against Roy's arm. "Come on, sit up…"

Edward shut his eyes again, letting his head fall on Roy's shoulder. Roy shook him to keep him awake and reached over, snatching the two pills and small cup of water from the side table.

"Here," Roy said, "I need you to take these pills, Edward. Think you can swallow them without choking, or do you need me to grind them up?"

Edward slumped further. "...Dunno…"

 _Okay, grinding them up it is._

He smashed the pills to powder with the bottom of the cup and swept the medication into the water. After that, it was just a matter of keeping Edward's head raised long enough for him to gulp it down.

After he managed to do that, he fell asleep almost startlingly quickly, still slumping against Roy.

 _This is bad, this is bad_ , Roy thought frantically as he grabbed the thermometer from the table and forced it into Edward's mouth, under his tongue. _He can't keep himself awake anymore._

Maybe it was just paranoia, but...at the same time…

 _...What if it wasn't?_

The thermometer beeped, and Roy pulled it out of Edward's mouth at record time, staring down at the small screen in frantic terror, terrified at what the reading might be.

 _41.2._

CRAP.

 _CRAP!_

Even though he felt like screaming, he could barely manage to speak. "No," Roy whispered, and he reached over, grabbed the wet rag out of the basin of water and, without bothering to wring it out, slammed it against Edward's forehead. "No, no, no, this can't be happening, this can't be, this can't...it can't…"

He mopped sweat off Ed's face, running the rag along the boy's cheeks as well as neck, anything to get his fever down. He even considered opening the windows again, but Edward was shivering from chills, and the chills would soon drive his fever up higher - in other words, having the windows open would only make it worse.

"Kid, you can't go dying on me," Roy said furiously, because he was scared, and he shook his head. "Nope. You aren't going to die on me, you hear me? _You hear me!?"_

He shook Edward again, but the only thing it resulted in was Edward nearly toppling over. He was dead weight.

 _Dead weight_ …

 _Dead…_

"No! _NO!"_ Roy considered dumping the entire basin of water over Edward's head at this point, but he knew it'd do more harm than good. Edward was just so...so pale, so still, and his breathing was now so shallow it was almost impossible to see, and his forehead was burning so horribly.

"You aren't dying on me, Edward, not now, not ever," Roy growled harshly through clenched teeth. "I've seen too many people die. You're not going to be one of them. I swear it. You're not going to be one of them."

But really...what say in Ed's life did Roy have? Roy had no power over the living; no power over the dead.

He was an alchemist, the Flame Alchemist, one of the most powerful people alive. He was Colonel Roy Mustang.

But he didn't have any power over anything. Over any _one_. Life, death, tragedies, sorrows...he didn't have power over _any_ of that. He didn't have control over it.

"Don't be one of them," Roy said, and he was pleading it now, as he embraced Edward tightly, like he could somehow anchor Edward to the world, keep the life flowing through Ed's fevered, wounded body. "Please. Don't be one of them. Don't. _Don't_. You can't be."

It suddenly slammed into him at full-force.

He realized just what losing Edward would mean.

Edward was sarcastic, tough, cynical. He never missed a moment to call Roy a name no one else would dare speak, and constantly fought tooth and claw for his life and the lives of the people he cared about. He flew into a miniature tornado of rage when anyone dared insult his height, and sometimes his rage was so terrifying no one dared so much as _approach_ him afterwards.

But Edward was also kindhearted. He was also compassionate, considerate, thoughtful - despite his furious tendencies, he was probably one of the most tenderhearted people Roy knew. Edward loved little kids. He once repaired a little boy's wooden toy when it'd been run over by a wagon wheel. He found a lost four year old girl wandering the alleys and brought her back to her parents.

In these two instances, Roy had pretended not to notice.

But he noticed every little bit of it, from the boy and girl's gratitude all the way down to Edward's encouraging wink and trademark smile.

He barged into Roy's office without knocking. He slammed his reports down on Roy's desk with the malice of someone about to start a rebellion. And Roy would make a snide comment about the boy's attitude, followed by one about his height, and that was followed by a few choice words from Edward. He once caught Edward trying to sneak a dozen or so kittens into their hotel room, and when asked what he was doing, he said he was helping Alphonse smuggle them into a safe place, just for the night, because his little brother was scared they would freeze to death if left outside.

Frankly, at the time, Roy had his suspicions that Edward was a cat person, and these thoughts were confirmed when he caught the brothers on multiple other occasions with multiple other cats and kittens.

 _Is all of that going to end?_

Roy's brain screeched to a halt as soon as the thought crossed his mind, but it was too late; it had been thought, and now, Roy couldn't forget it. If Edward didn't pull through this...and right now, that "if" was getting smaller and smaller, the probabilities of Edward's survival dwindling down into single digits…

"Edward, you have to live," Roy whispered, and he felt something burn behind his eyes (definitely NOT tears, nope, nope, nopenopenopenopenope, because dying people were cried over so often, and Edward was definitely NOT dying, nope, nope, nope, _oh please no, please no..._ )

"You have to live," Roy whispered again, and he buried his face in Edward's golden hair, squeezing the boy impossibly tight. Edward's forehead pressed against his neck, and Roy could feel almost smelting heat burn against his collar. "Please, just...just…"

Edward's breathing was getting fainter. His pulse, when Roy checked it, was thready. He was blissfully unconscious, for the first time in a long time looking completely and utterly peaceful.

The world was a cruel place. Only when Edward was nearly dead could he find peace.

"Edward, you can't die," Roy said, "you have so much, _so much_ , to lose. What about Alphonse? Are you really going to go back on your promise to him? You promised him you'd get your bodies back and how are you going to keep that promise if you don't _stay alive,_ huh? And what about all the other people who love you? What about that girl, Winry? What about Hawkeye, Hughes, Havoc, Breda, Fuery...what about me?"

It was definitely raining, outside and inside. The whole _world_ could have been suffering rain storms and it would have been appropriate for this situation.

"Don't," Roy said firmly, but at the same time with bated breath, when he felt Edward's breathing get even shallower. "Don't you _dare_."

And as if on cue, lightning struck outside. Way to add to the ominous mood.

"Don't leave us," Roy whispered, shutting his eyes. "Don't leave. Don't. You...you mean too much to us...to me. So don't. You. _Dare_."

No response. No reply. No improvement.

And it started raining on Roy's face.

He didn't know how long he sat there. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. Heck, it could have been _months, years, an eternity,_ and Roy wouldn't have cared one bit. He wouldn't have given a single crap.

All that mattered was Edward.

Roy was about to give up hope. Edward had stopped shivering. Maybe he was shutting down. Maybe he was finally dying. Maybe he was already dead; Roy wouldn't know, because he didn't trust himself to look just yet.

"...Colonel…"

It was such a small, weak, feeble sound that Roy almost didn't hear it. He chuckled hysterically, squeezing Edward tight. "I knew it," Roy choked out through his teeth. "I've finally lost it."

"...Colonel...you're...choking...me…"

Okay.

Okay.

O-

Wait.

 _What._

 _The._

 _Actual_.

 _What?_

That voice. Small. Weak. Feeble. Shaky. But unmistakably one Roy recognized. Unmistakably that of his annoying, pint-sized subordinate.

Roy grabbed Edward by the shoulders and pulled back, eyes staring straight ahead. Edward's golden, dazed eyes stared back blearily, confused, almost, but with a hint of amusement.

"You're...such a...freakin'...drama queen…" Edward panted, scant of breath. "C-Could...could you j-just... _chill?"_

Roy stared, not daring to believe what he was seeing.

And then, it finally clicked.

"EDWARD!" he shouted, and before he could stop himself, he was crushing Edward against him again, tighter than ever. He could feel it now; Edward had broken into a cold sweat, and with Edward's forehead digging into his neck, Roy was certain of one thing.

His fever was going down.

It had either reached its peak and broken, or the mediations were finally kicking in, but either way, Edward's fever was finally going down and _if that wasn't good flippin' news than Roy had no idea what the heck was._

"You're alright," Roy said, and no matter how tightly he held Edward, he never seemed able to hold tight enough. "You're alright…"

"Bleh…" Edward murmured tiredly, relenting his pride and letting Roy hold him. "I had...no idea...you were such...a dang softie…"

"You shut your mouth," Roy said, laughing giddily, and it was raining again, but this was a different type of rain. This was a joyful rain. A happy rain, streaming down Roy's face and further dampening Edward's sweaty hair.

Edward smirked softly. "...I heard you, you know…" he said quietly. "I heard…" His eyes drooped, and his voice became even softer, "...every single…" His eyes shut. "...word."

And he was sleeping again, fever-free, and for the first time in a long time, Roy had room to breathe without being strangled by constant fear.

"I'm glad," Roy said, "because I'd never repeat myself. You know that."

But frankly, Roy wasn't sure whether or not it was true. Maybe he _would_ repeat himself...if just for Edward.

 _BANG!_

The sound was so sudden Roy nearly fell off the couch, and Edward stirred, but didn't wake. Roy looked around feverishly. He had heard that sound enough times to know exactly what it was.

A gunshot.

Someone had fired a gun.

He was in defense mode straight away, yanking one of his ignition gloves onto his hand, ready for action.

He listened closely.

And then…

" _Colonel Mustang! Edward! Where are you!?"_

Another gunshot rang through the air, and Roy's eyes widened. That voice...he knew that voice. He recognized that voice the moment he heard it.

 _There's no way…_

 _...Riza Hawkeye?_

She was firing a gun to get his attention, wherever she was. She was looking for them.

 _She was looking for them._

 _Help had finally come_.

"Hawkeye, we're over here!" Roy shouted back, and for good measure, he snapped, channeled the oxygen in the air, and sent a flurry of flames out the door. "Call an ambulance, Edward's hurt!"

Roy waited for an answer, and then, amidst the rain and thunder outside, he heard the sound of boots pounding against wet asphalt, splashing into random puddles.

And an instant later, Riza Hawkeye stood in the doorway, blonde hair dripping wet over her shoulders, uniform soaked through, but there was no mistaking the relief in her eyes.

And there was definitely no mistaking the relief in Roy's chest.

Help was here.

They were saved.


	8. Chapter 8

**I am sooooooo sorry this took me so long to get out, you guys! I mean seriously, this took me way longer than I thought I would and I'm not even totally satisfied with it; I didn't even manage to proof-read the entire thingamajigger but I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer for it, so I decided to post it now and go back to fix errors later. :)**

 **Anyways, this is the FINAL chapter and I hope it doesn't suck! XD I plan on doing some more FMA fanfics in the near (and/or not so near) future depending on how my schoolwork goes; coming into the new school year, yeah, it doesn't give me a lot of time to write. I'll be a sophomore this coming school year, soooo...**

 **Yeah.**

 **Work load. I want it to be like this: 0. But in reality, it's gonna be more like this: 1365152315236564127523518726481683748723423.**

 **Haha, and I'm talking too much. XD Enjoy the final chapter, and PLEASE let me know if you like it! :D Thanks guys! Final author's note is at the end of the chapter! :D Enjoy chapter 8! :D**

* * *

 **Summary: Edward takes a bullet for Roy during the fight against a psychotic criminal alchemist. Parental!Roy and injured!Edward.**

* * *

There was a dull buzz, like the sound of a generator running, and this humming buzz was accompanied by a particularly bothersome beeping. The beeps fell in monotone, even fashion, never once missing their cue.

Edward squeezed his eyes shut tighter and tried to drown out the sounds. He recognized them too well, and he also recognized that too-clean smell laced with anesthetics and antibiotics.

The humming was produced by an oxygen tank, and the beeping, from a heart monitor. He could feel a tiny pressure on his flesh arm, and this, too, was familiar; an IV stick, imbedded in the skin of his wrist.

He mentally sighed. _Dangit, I've landed myself in the hospital again,_ he thought, turning over on his side-

A sharp pain shot through his stomach, and he tensed, instantly regretting his decision. _Crap, don't move, don't move!_ his brain screeched. _Don't do THAT!_ He was in a hospital, and he was in the hospital for a reason; he should have known better than to shift around.

He paused to think, to regather his thoughts, but everything still felt somewhat scattered. He remembered a little bit, but he couldn't fully grasp what had happened, what had landed him in this hospital.

The pain brought back some more memories. Yeah, he remembered getting shot because he pushed Colonel Useless-When-Wet out of the way of Shredder's bullet, and he remembered Roy forcing some sort of fever-reducing pills into him, but…

...But that was it. He couldn't remember being taken to a hospital. He couldn't remember being found. Had help come, or had Roy dragged him to the hospital himself?

 _Nah...Roy's too lazy..._ Edward thought, pulling the rough hospital blanket up to his nose. Even as he thought it, he mentally added, _But of course, I don't actually mean that...and of course I'd never actually_ say _that to Roy out loud…_

He considered opening his eyes, but rebuffed the thought. Hospital lights were always too bright in his opinion, and he had seen them too often for comfort. Frankly, he hated going to hospitals. He appreciated what the doctors and nurses did for their patients, but all the same, hospitals were full of sick, injured people, people who were in pain, and he hated that.

He hated knowing people were in pain.

He heard the door to his hospital room opening and closing, but he still didn't bother to look at who had entered. He heard clicking of thick boots, heard a chair being dragged over and a weight dropped onto it, and he still didn't care.

"Hey, Fullmetal?"

Edward didn't answer, trying to make his body limp. _Maybe if they think I'm sleeping, they'll just go away. Yeah, that's right. They'll just go away._ He felt too tired and drained to answer any questions anyone might shoot at him.

But the new arrival was persistent. "You awake?"

 _Gooooo aaawwwwaaayyyy._

A sigh. "Edward, I know you're awake, you're breathing unevenly."

 _Daaarrrrnnnn iiiiittt…_ He instantly checked his breathing and made sure to take deep, even breaths, one at a time. _There. Now they're bound to think I'm asleep._

He paused.

 _Gah, who'm I kidding!? It's too late! Agh!_

He rolled over on his back, eliciting another sharp pain from his bullet wound, and blinked his eyes open. Just as he imagined, the light was way too bright, and he winced on instinct, squinting upwards.

Roy Mustang straightened in his seat and smirked softly. Edward looked over, still blinking furiously. "Knew it," said Roy in triumph, standing from his seat and pressing the back of his hand against Edward's forehead. Only now, when Roy's freezing knuckles met his fevered skin, did Edward realize how hot he actually felt. It was no wonder he was being given antibiotics through the IV.

"Meh...so what…?" Edward prompted, when Roy pulled back his hand. He took a moment to blink about, surveying his hospital room. He felt tubes brush against his cheeks and run up his nose; oxygen tubes, trailing from the oxygen tank. White washed walls. Bright lights overhead. Heart monitor, still beeping. IV drip. Just your standard hospital. Nothing new.

But even so. "Where am I?" Edward murmured. "I thought...I thought we were...still at that...abandoned house."

"We were," said Roy. "When you passed out, Hawkeye found us and called you an ambulance. Right now, you're in a private military hospital. We decided it'd be best to take you here; otherwise, a panic could spread."

"Yeah, I getcha," said Edward, imagining a riot of people demanding to know why the Fullmetal Alchemist had been hospitalized. "How'd Lieutenant Hawkeye find us, anyway?"

"She and Fuery are to thank for that. They'd traced us from my receiver," Roy said. He held up his small communication device in somewhat triumph: the same device he had dropped while battling Shredder. "Once they pinpointed our general location, they came down here to scope it out for themselves and, well, they found us."

"Huh…" Edward said. "Well, it would've been easier on everyone if you hadn't dropped your communication thingamajig in the _first place_ , Colonel Klutz."

"Interesting," said Roy, folding his hands, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Klutz, huh? That's a new one. Normally it's Idiot or Jerk."

"What? Do you have a preference? I think _Stupid_ would fit you pretty good as well."

Roy chuckled softly and shook his head. "Nope," he said. "Whatever you do, though, just don't let it slip your mind that I _am_ your superior officer, alright?"

Edward smirked, tiredly, but sarcastically nonetheless. "Don't let what slip my mind? Did you say something?" he said innocently.

Roy sighed. "Same Fullmetal," he said, shaking his head. "Well, I'm glad you're coherent again. Your fever scared me big time back there. I seriously thought I was going to lose you."

"Yeah, I know," said Edward, looking down at the small needle in his arm. As much as he hated needles, he knew that right now, this IV drip was probably not only keeping him hydrated, but also keeping his fever tamed. "How high is it now?"

"I believe it was 38.7 last the doctor checked," said Roy, "and that was an hour ago. He upped your medication, so it should be lower now...you still look pretty flushed, though."

"No big deal," said Edward. "I can deal with that." He paused, looked around for a moment, and then, asked, "Where's Alphonse?"

"He was here a little while ago," said Roy. "I sent him off with Hawkeye. He wanted to stay, but he looked like he needed some time away. He was worried about you. Scared the daylights out of the poor receptionist when asking which room you were in."

Edward hummed, looking down in disappointment. "Alright," he said, and he turned over on his side and yanked his blanket back over his shoulders.

Edward now had his back to Roy, but he could still feel the Colonel's eyes burning into him, questioning. "Do you want me to send for him?" Roy asked.

 _Yes_. "Nah, it's alright," Edward lied, shutting his eyes. "I think I'll just go to sleep again. Don't worry about calling Alphonse, I'm alright."

He heard Roy sigh and stand, pushing back the chair.

And then, he heard the familiar _click_ of Roy's communication device being turned on.

Edward's eyes flew open, and he flipped over on his back again.

"Hello, Hawkeye?" Roy spoke into the receiver, flashing Edward a look.

" _Yes, Sir?"_ Hawkeye's voice shot back from the speaker.

"Edward's awake. Could you send Alphonse down here?"

" _Yessir,"_ said Hawkeye. _"I'm on it."_ The device clicked again, and Roy snapped it to his belt. Edward groaned loudly and pulled the blanket over his head.

"I told you not to bother with it," he grumbled. "I said I was alright, you didn't have to-"

"And you lied," said Roy flatly, cutting him off. "Alphonse is the only family you have left. I know you want to see him, and I know he wants to see you, especially now that you're awake."

"I said I was going back to sleep again." But even as he said it, he didn't mean it; he'd wait up if it meant reassuring Alphonse that he was, indeed, alright. And Roy was partially right, anyways. Edward _did_ want to see his brother, for comfort if for nothing else. "I'm going to sleep now."

"Sure you will, Edward," said Roy, and by the tone of his voice, he knew, once again, that Edward was lying. "Sure you will."

Edward huffed in annoyance.

"...And don't think for one second that you're getting out of work, either," said Roy, making for the door. "I expect a full report as soon as you're out of the hospital, alright?"

Edward could hear the smirk in Roy's voice. He could hear the teasing tone he used only when trying to be particularly thoughtful. _Great. He teases me when he's worried. I'll remember that for future reference._

"Yeah, whatever," said Edward. "Expect that report all you want. But don't blame me if I smash my fist in your face."

Roy grunted. "I look forward to it, Edward," he said. "Get some rest, alright?" Edward muttered out an unintelligible response, and Roy headed off.

…

Edward smacked a large stack of papers down on Roy Mustang's desk, and Roy jumped without meaning to. He smirked at the young alchemist before him; even when Roy was sitting down, Edward was still shorter than he was.

"Welcome back, Fullmetal," he said, reaching forward to pull the papers towards him.

Edward turned on his heel and threw himself down on the couch, red trench coat swung around his shoulders, golden hair tied back in its usual braid. "Can't say it's good to be back," said Edward, "but it's better than being in the hospital. Three weeks was way too long."

"Even so," said Roy, flipping through the papers, "don't expect me to send you on any missions any time soon. I might wait another few weeks just to make sure you don't relapse...huh?" He paused, pulling a single paper from the stack of others. "And what's this?" he questioned, waving the paper around.

"Eh?" Edward said, looking up. Recognition flashed in his eyes, and he nodded. "Ooooh, right, _that_ one," said Edward. "Well, I decided instead of just giving you my usual report, I'd throw in a list of requirements, too."

"Requirements?" Roy muttered, looking over Edward's list.

"Yeah," said Edward, like it was obvious, "requirements, in case you ever decide to go wandering around the most deserted part of the city with a crazed killer called Shredder on the loose."

Roy's eyes continued scanning the paper, and he couldn't help but sigh.

 _1\. Hand cuffs._

 _2\. Medications._

 _3\. A communication device._

 _4\. A second communication device, because everyone knows Colonel Klutz is bound to drop his first one._

 _5\. A third communication device, just in case Colonel Klutz decides to be extra klutzy._

 _6\. Hmm, going to the most dangerous part of the city? Maybe we should bring some, oh, I don't know, BACKUP, MAYBE!?_

 _7\. I MEAN MAYBE!?_

 _8\. An umbrella (Useless-When-Wet)_

 _9\. Bandages._

 _10\. REFLEXES, SO I DON'T HAVE TO USE MYSELF AS A HUMAN SHIELD JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF A BULLET IN TIME, YOU IDIOT._

Roy glared at Edward, who looked on innocently, pretending not to notice. "I'll remember this, kid," Roy grumbled, stowing the list away in his desk. "Now, what about the rest of your report?"

"Nah, who _cares?"_ said Edward, crossing his arms. "Shredder was found dead in that alleyway. Apparently, he had some kind of severe brain disease while he was alive, and his brain shut down right after you set fire to the alley."

"Interesting," said Roy, frowning. "So he knew he was dying, and decided to go on a crime craze while he still had the chance."

Ed hung his hands. "Beats me," he said, "I'm not a criminal, so I shouldn't know." He swung his legs off the side of the couch and got to his feet again. "Well," he said, clapping his hands together briefly, "I should be heading back. I thought I heard meowing from Alphonse earlier; I'm gonna make sure he didn't pick up another dozen stray cats on our way home from the hospital."

He pivoted and made for the door.

"Edward," Roy called, and Edward paused, one foot already passing over the doorframe. Edward looked back at Roy, frowning.

"What?" Edward asked.

Roy smiled. "I still owe you one," he said, "from when you saved me."

Edward scoffed and blew his bangs out of his face. "See ya later, Colonel Jerk," he said pointedly, and then, with a mock salute, he headed off.

Roy smirked, shook his head with a chuckle, and took his seat behind his desk again, flipping through the multiple papers of Edward's report. He was just about to set them aside, when he noticed something.

A small note, pinned with a paper clip to the final piece of parchment. Roy pulled the note free, unfolded it, and read it over.

 _In all seriousness. Thanks for everything you did for me back at that stupid abandoned house. Turns out you're not as big of a jerk as I thought you were. Do me a favor, though, wouldja? Burn this note as soon as you read it. We'll call it even and forget it ever happened, 'kay? (Even though I'm never letting you live down the fact you dropped your communication device)._

 _Thanks. A lot._

 _Edward._

Roy smirked. "Don't worry, kid, you don't need to thank me," he said, folding the note and stuffing it in the breast pocket of his coat, close to his heart. "It was my pleasure."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Bam, WHAT? And there so ends my first FMA multiple chapter fanfiction! :D I think I did okay! *explosions in the background* Haha, YEAH, I think I did okay. :D**

 **You can expect a lot of one-shots from me in the near-not-so-near future. I have quite a few ideas I want to put into words, but I don't know if I'll be writing another multi-chap fanfic for this fandom any time soon. I had a blast with this one, though, so I'm sure I'll do another eventually. :)**

 **THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT, I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! :D I want to thank all my readers, all the people who favorited this story, everyone who followed it, and everyone who reviewed! Your feedback helped a lot! :D**

 **Let me know how I did, 'kay? :) I hope to see you all in my next story! :D**

 **Cheers! :)**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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